Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense

Business and Corporate Law

• Business Disputes
  Catherine Baker Stetson attended Vassar College during her undergraduate career and later earned an M.A. from Brown University and a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico.  After obtaining her law degree in 1981, she apprenticed with Ussery & Parrish until leaving to start her firm, Gover & Stetson, with Kevin Gover, in 1986. Since 1982, she has been performing legal work for local tribal governments, in addition to providing legislative and lobbying services.  Cate is a business law attorney with a focus on economic development, contracts, financing, general civil litigation, and management issues.  In 2000 she was appointed by President William J. Clinton to the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Board of Directors and later was appointed by Navajo shareholder representatives to the Board of the Navajo Community Development Financial Institution.  Cate has received numerous awards and honors, has been listed in
• Business Transactions
  Developing stable structures, or strengthening existing structures, for the exercise of tribal governmental and proprietary powers is essential to the successful legal strategy for any tribe. We have an interest and experience in tribal economic development and on-reservation business transactions and have frequently developed and updated the tribal codes and regulatory systems that are the foundation of economic success. In addition, we have done substantial work in lease negotiations, joint ventures, traditional debt financing, chartering tribal corporations, financing direct and guaranteed loans, work with LIHTC projects and assisted in the development of the NMMFA in Residential Loan and other tribal investment opportunities. Not only have we served as the tribal attorney for several loan transactions involving shopping centers, hotels, casinos, credit unions, professional offices, landfills, and mobile home parks, but also we have functioned as lender’s attorney in the financing of a tribal telecommunications business in Arizona and as advisor to Fannie Mae for on-reservation mortgage financing.
• Limited Liability Companies
  We have substantial experience in chartering and representing tribally-owned corporations, whether state, federal, or tribal; developing consistent and user-friendly charters and bylaws; training and building the capacity of tribal corporate boards of directors; creating, maintaining, and reviewing tribal corporate minute books; and conducting annual reviews to assure compliance with corporate and organizational formalities. We have also worked with partnerships, joint ventures, and limited liability companies, as needed.
• Construction Contracts
  Karis Begaye (Diné) graduated from North Georgia College in 1999 and obtained her law degree from Whitter Law School in 2003. She worked in the Navajo Nation from 2005 to 2018, both in the Navajo Nation Department of Justice Economic/Community Development Unit and the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President. While working within the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Karis advised the Navajo Nation on the tribe’s gaming industry; she was responsible for the negotiation, drafting, reviewing and enforcing of the Navajo Nation’s business leases and business construction contracts and advised the Navajo Nation on fee-to-trust land acquisitions, which included working with local, state, and federal agencies. Karis sat as second chair in Navajo Nation vs. Urban Outfitters, involving illegal use of the “Navajo” name, and successfully settled. She is a past Board member of the Navajo Nation Bar Association and is licensed to practice in New Mexico and the Navajo Nation.

Employment Law

• Employment Litigation
  We have been involved in numerous lawsuits in a number of jurisdictions, including sovereign immunity issues. We have also negotiated and litigated administrative law issues, from requests for assistance, challenges to agency findings, and administrative appeals, including NEPA review, enrollment disputes, and cancellation of easements.  We have successfully aided in the resolution of federal agency findings of noncompliance as well as the resolution of Inspector General audits.  Our related experience includes working with the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) (ordinances, management contracts, minimum internal control standards (MICS)), and the BIA (land into trust and revenue allocation plans [ per capita ]), and compact negotiations.  We have assisted with resolution of HUD monitoring reviews, one U.S. Department of Health and Human Services review, and one state welfare agency inquiry.  We have successfully negotiated with state and federal agencies on environmental standards and review, employment issues, mortgage guarantee approvals, and development of memoranda of understanding.

Property Law

• Construction Litigation
  Timothy J. Humphrey, Sr. Timothy J. Humphrey, Sr.received his bachelor’s degree with honors from New Mexico State University, a Masters of Social Work from the Worden School of Social Services in San Antonio, Texas, and his law degree from the University of Montana in 1983. He is licensed in both New Mexico and Montana. Tim has focused on environmental issues, corporations, code and regulation development, and housing and construction law. Tim also provides services in the areas of financing, Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) project development and development of alternative energy projects. He has served as a Vice Chair of the Native American Resources Committee for the ABA’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Stetson Law Offices, P.C. was started in 1997 as a 100% woman-owned New Mexico professional corporation.  We currently offer the services of five tribal law attorneys, plus Of Counsel attorneys in criminal defense and personal injury, with expertise in serving tribal entities and governments.  While we are large enough to handle a wide range of legal and political needs, we are small enough to pay attention to each client individually and with courtesy.

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  Our housing experience is quite broad. We have developed over seventeen housing policies covering subjects such as admissions and occupancy, grievances, Indian preference, personnel, procurement, travel, maintenance, management and ethics, collections and terminations, information technology, self monitoring, property acquisition and disposition, inventory control, and evictions. We have assisted many tribes in drafting housing related laws and ordinances, including laws necessary for establishing TDHEs, mortgages, and foreclosure and eviction procedures. We have litigated numerous housing issues, including eviction, construction, and bankruptcy cases, in state, federal, and tribal courts. We have extensive experience in tribal courts, collectively having practiced before the Blackfeet Tribal Court, White Mountain Apache Court, Crow Tribal Court, the Wind River Tribal Court, Jicarilla Tribal Court, Washoe Tribal Court, and the Pueblo courts of Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Isleta, Laguna, Zuni, Pojoaque, Acoma, and Tesuque, among others.
• Tax Law
  We have frequently provided special counsel services to tribes or tribal tax commissions in the area of tribal taxation and have assisted private entities in understanding the consequences of tribal taxation. We have broad experience in drafting tribal tax ordinances and regulations, negotiating with state governments on tax collection agreements, analyzing the liability of tribes and their members for state and federal taxes, litigating against states and private interests on tribal jurisdiction issues, and representing tribal tax agencies in administrative proceedings against protesting taxpayers. We have prepared numerous tribal codes enacting severance taxes, property taxes, fuel taxes, and sales taxes, and have assisted in the implementation and enforcement of those codes. We have created, implemented, and helped to regulate tribal tax programs and have served as tax counsel on gross receipts and construction taxes, utility and possessory interest taxes, and oil and gas taxes. We have over the years dealt with gasoline and cigarette tax issues in New Mexico, in conjunction with the New Mexico Native American Petroleum Coalition.